Apparatus for mounting image-tilting device of projection system

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an image-titling apparatus for reflecting light being projected from a light-scanning device through a fine tilting motion to improve quality of displayed images. The image-tilting apparatus includes a bracket capable of being installed in a support structure so as to be inclined with respect to the support structure. The bracket includes a flange formed so as to be inclined with respect to the bracket such that the flange can be attached to the support structure in parallel thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image-titling device in a projection system, more specifically to an apparatus for mounting the image-tilting device on a vertical support structure so as to be inclined with respect to the support structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows a general projection system.

In the projection system of FIG. 1, a light source 2100 generates white light, which passes through a color-processing device 220 to become a colored light being synchronized with an image displayed on a micro display device 2300.

The image displayed on the micro display device 2300 passes through a first projection lens 2410 and is reflected by an image-tilting device 1000 to which a reflection mirror 1410 is attached. Then, the reflected image is enlarged and projected onto a screen 2500 by means of a second projection lens 2420.

The reflection mirror 1410 mounted on the image-tilting device 1000 is oscillated through fine and precise tilting motion of the image-tilting device 1000.

At this time, the image-tilting device 1000 tilts about a vertical or horizontal tilting axis or about a tilting axis inclined at a certain angle. Thus, the reflection mirror 1410 attached thereto comes to have oscillation corresponding to the tilting motion of the device.

Referring to FIG. 1, when the image-tilting device 1000 tilts about the horizontal tilting axis H, the image being displayed on the screen 2500 oscillates finely up and down as indicated by an arrow beside the screen, thereby improving the image quality being displayed on the screen.

That is, if the image-tilting device 1000 is tilting in a fine and repeated manner, the image pixels on the screen 250 are also oscillating up and down finely to overlap the vertically adjacent pixels. The boundaries between the adjacent pixels are blurred to result in a higher resolution due to viewer's optical illusion.

FIG. 2 schematically shows conventional support structures for fixing an image tilting device.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2( a), an image-tilting device 300, to which a mirror 400 is attached, must be mounted on a vertical support structure 200 with an inclination, thereby resulting in an uneasy installation and weak fastening force. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2( b), a slant protrusion 210 can be formed in the vertical support structure 200, and the image-tilting device 300 having a mirror 400 can be attached to the slant protrusion 210 in parallel thereto. In this case, the support structure 200 having a slant portion 210 must be separately designed and can not be easily fabricated. In addition, the slant protrusion 210 interferes with other components of the project system to lead to a bulky projection system disadvantageously.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2( c), a mirror holder or the image tilting device 300 corresponding to a tilting portion, where the mirror 400 is mounted, can be fabricated so as to be inclined, i.e., such that the mirror 400 itself can be inclined. Then, the image-tilting device can be attached to the vertical structure 200, while maintaining the mirror to be inclined with respect to the vertical structure. In this case, however, the mirror holder or the image-tilting device 300 corresponding to a tilting portion can be balanced off against the mirror 400, due to varied thickness of the whole device. Thus, tilting of the mirror 400 can be easily performed and also increased thickness of the image-tilting device 300 results in a heavier product or system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in order to solve at least part of the problems in the art. It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for mounting the image-tilting device of a projection system on a vertical support structure so as to be inclined thereto.

In order to accomplish the above objects, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an image-titling apparatus for reflecting light being projected from a light-scanning device through a fine tilting motion to improve quality of displayed images. The apparatus of the invention comprises a bracket capable of being installed in a support structure so as to be inclined with respect to the support structure. The bracket includes a flange formed so as to be inclined with respect to the bracket such that the flange can be attached to the support structure in parallel thereto.

The image tilting apparatus is composed of a tilting portion having a mirror attached thereto for reflecting the light, a support portion to which the tilting portion is hinge-combined so as to be tiltable, and a driver means for tilting the tilting portion. The support portion is attached to the bracket. The driver means includes a magnet mounted on the bracket and a coil mounted on the tilting portion such that the coil and the magnet interact to drive the tilting portion. The bracket includes a yoke portion for returning magnet flux to the magnet after passing through the coil. The yoke portion is formed integrally with the bracket.

The flange is formed at both sides of the bracket. The flange is configured to have a maximum height equal to or less than combined thickness of the tilting portion and the bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a conventional projection system;

FIG. 2 schematically shows conventional support structures for fixing an image tilting device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an image tilting device having a mounting structure according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the image tilting device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the image tilting device of FIG. 3 when mounted on a support structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Hereafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an image tilting device having a mounting structure according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the image tilting device of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side view of the image tilting device of FIG. 3 when mounted on a support structure.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the image-tilting device include a mirror 20, a mirror holder 10, a tilting portion 30, a support portion 40, a driver means, and a bracket 60 for fixing or fastening the mirror holder 10, the tilting portion 30 and the support portion 40 to a support structure 200.

The mirror 20 is to reflect light being projected from a light scanning device, and mounted on the mirror holder 10.

The mirror 20 may be mounted directly on the top face of the tilting portion 30 or may be mounted on the mirror holder 10, which is mounted on the tilting portion 30.

The support portion 40 is disposed at both sides of the tilting portion 30. The tilting portion 30 is hinged with the support portion 40 so as to be tiltable with respect to the support portion 40.

More specifically, the tilting portion 30 and the support portion 40 are formed integrally with each other by means of a hinge having a ‘+’-shaped cross-section.

Of course, the hinge, which integrally connect the tilting portion 30 and the support portion 40 may have other types of cross-sections, instead of the ‘+’ shape.

The driver means for tilting the tilting portion 30 is installed under the tilting portion 30. The driver means is composed of a coil 52 and a magnet 55.

The coil 52 is wound in the form of a hollow cylinder. The coil 52 is fixed at both sides of the tilting axis of the tilting portion 30.

The magnet 55 is installed in the bracket 60 so as to be disposed at the lateral side of each coil 52.

That is, the magnetic flux of the magnet 55 passes through the coil 52 in horizontal direction, and the electric current of the coil 52 flows horizontally perpendicular to the magnetic flux of the magnet 55.

Thus, if electric current flows along the coil 52 attached to the tilting portion 30, the coil 52 interacts with the magnetic flux of the magnet 55 to drive the tilting portion 30.

That is, the coil 52 and the magnet 55 generate an electromagnetic force to act vertically against each other according to Fleming's Left Hand rules. Thus, the tilting portion 30 to which the coil 52 is fixed can be tilted up and down.

The bracket 60 is disposed under the tilting portion 30, the support portion 40 and the driver means. The bracket 60 is coupled to the support portion 40 by means of a fastener means.

The bracket 60 is formed with four support plates 62 vertically protruded. Two of the support plates 62 are disposed in the center of the respective coil 52 and the remaining two of them are disposed adjacent to the coils 52 so as to support the magnet 55.

The bracket 60 is formed with a yoke portion. The yoke is disposed under the coil 52 and the magnet 55 such that the magnet flux of the magnet 55 can be returned to the magnet after passing through the coil 52.

The yoke portion may be formed separately, or the support plate 62 may serve as a yoke portion.

The yoke portion may be constituted of the portion where the support plates 62 are formed, in other words, the support plates 62 may form part of the yoke portion.

A flange 65 is provided at both sides of the bracket 60 laterally extended so as to be disposed at both sides of the tilting portion 30.

The flange 65 is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the bracket 60 and the tilting portion 30. The maximum height of the slant bracket 65 is made equal to or less than the combined thickness of the tilting portion 30 and the bracket 60.

In this way, the overall thickness of the image-titling device is not increased by the formation of the inclined flange 65, thereby not causing any problem with miniaturization of the products.

As described above, a slant flange 65 is formed in the bracket 60, and then the flange 65 can be attached to a vertical support structure 200 in parallel to each other such that the image-tilting device can be inclined with respect to the vertical support structure 200, as shown in FIG. 5.

Therefore, when it is required to mount the image-tilting device, the vertical support structure 200 does not need to be re-designed or modified. In addition, the flange 65 can be combined in parallel with the support structure 200 to provide for an easy and solid assembling and installation.

Furthermore, the tilting portion 30 can have the same thickness over the whole device so that the tilting portion 30 can be balanced off to facilitate tilting movement of the tilting portion 30.

On the other hand, a separate PCB holder 70 for installing a PCB 80 can be mounted in the bracket 60.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An image-titling apparatus for reflecting light being projected from a light-scanning device through a fine tilting motion to improve quality of displayed images, the apparatus comprising: a bracket capable of being installed in a support structure so as to be inclined with respect to the support structure, the bracket including a flange formed so as to be inclined with respect to the bracket, wherein the flange can be attached to the support structure in parallel thereto.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a tilting portion having a mirror attached thereto for reflecting the light; a support portion to which the tilting portion is hinge-combined so as to be tiltable, the support portion being attached to the bracket; and a driver means for tilting the tilting portion, the driver means including a magnet mounted on the bracket and a coil mounted on the tilting portion such that the coil and the magnet interact to drive the tilting portion, wherein the bracket includes a yoke portion for returning magnet flux to the magnet after passing through the coil, the yoke portion being formed integrally with the bracket.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the flange is formed at both sides of the bracket, and the flange is configured to have a maximum height equal to or less than combined thickness of the tilting portion and the bracket. 